Singapore and Hong Kong battle it out in surveys

A recent survey highlighted expats in Hong Kong and Singapore with 24 per cent stating Hong Kong had the best jobs against Singapore’s 19 per cent.

The Expat Explorer survey is no stranger to controversy, as are most comparisons between equally popular destinations. In this instance, nearly a quarter of Hong Kong respondents stated unequivocally that their city had the most fantastic jobs, with expats in Singapore only able to muster 19 per cent’s worth of praise for their city’s job opportunities. Sadly, both Asian destinations scored lower than the global average of 25 per cent, and newcomer Jakarta chased Singapore in the rankings with a respectable 18 per cent.

The top-scoring city in the rankings as regards the most sought-after jobs was San Francisco, described as an expensive city as regards cost of living and offering the second highest salary level in the world at an average of $207,227. The city’s score in the fantastic job opportunities sector was also the highest at 57 per cent, far above the 25 per cent global average, resulting in its position as the world’s top city for expat professionals.

On the other hand, Singapore rated as an affordable destination as well as being cited safe, an excellent base for travel, great for leisure facilities and with amazing food choices. Affordability in popular expat hubs seems to be getting rarer in this and other surveys, with HSBC noting higher costs of living are strongly associated with top salaries. Singapore expats believe they have a greater amount of disposable income than in their home countries, but 25 per cent of those surveyed said there was no difference.

Across the world, just 57 per cent had cash left after every necessity was paid for, with the remainder possibly just getting by. In another survey based on the best countries for foreign talent, Singapore lost out to Hong Kong again, being placed 13th in the annual World Talent Rankings. The city-state ranked 41st as regards development and investment and 17th in terms of general appeal and attractiveness for the brightest and best foreign talents.